Is Quick Cash Possible in the Digital Age?

With everything digital, what do the kids sell when they need some quick cash nowadays?

In the olden days of, say, the 1990s, we had physical CD’s, albums, books and such that cold be sold relatively easily for cash. The quick cash would often help us young folk survive a few more days until payday.

Increasingly, everything is on hard drives. What do young people do now when they need a few dollars to smooth their cash flow issues?

Comments | 11

  • The long-term impact of rising unemployment among the young

    http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Money-(for-Teenagers)

    1. Working for Yourself. Treat it like a program or business. You can work by yourself, or you can start a mini-company by joining together with your friends

    2. Consider the basics. Babysit, walk dogs, wash cars, or even record videos and put them online, with the right partnership company, there is a lot of money in it. Or mow lawns for your neighbors.

    3. Shovel snow

    4. Do work around the house. Negotiate fees with your parents for extra chores around the house

    • Do younger generations own anything?

      Those are ok ways to make money slowly and carefully, with work, but what do kids have these days that they can sell for quick cash?

      Put another way, does the younger generation own anything at all that can be sold?

      (Also, I see few kids mowing lawns, and even fewer shoveling snow. Must be forming partnerships and mini-businesses…)

      • Youth Work Ethic?

        Locally, I’ve seen a lot of young people with cars (or access to cars, and nice ones too). Also a lot of younger people smoke those $10 pack cigarettes sold here in VT. They’re getting money from somewhere and I’m certain not all of it is from a hardworking work ethic.

        You’re right, they’re not shoveling or mowing.

      • Interesting

        So much of what kids have is intangible now. They’ll be very different adults than we are.

        And what they do have- electronics, sports equipment- are way too expensive to sell off. We had stereos but only sold them in dire straits. We had albums and paraphernalia we could get 10 or 20 bucks from.

        • Weird world

          That’s what I’m wondering. I say ‘kids these days,’ but really mean young adults.

          Do they own anything physical worth selling? Clothing? The options seem few.

          Another shift is more people leasing vehicles… and not owning anything to “hand down”” or sell cheaply to their younger relatives when they get a new vehicle. It goes back to the dealership and they get to sell it.

          Maybe we’re becoming a society that likes to pay for things, but not actually own them. Weird.

  • Virtual currencies?

    Virtual currencies?

  • i have a few ...

    of those young people living in my home.
    They make money by working: babysitting, restaurant work, and service oriented odd jobs.
    One of them has sold some old vintage clothes/accessories over the years on eBay.

    • Tougher now than before?

      Selling vintage clothing and accessories online sounds like the best way (so far) to possibly make some quick cash outside of work to get one through to payday.

      (It’s the 20+ range I’m interested in. Not teens at home. If young people 20+ are still at home, that means they can’t even afford to begin to live on their own, which is worse than I thought.)

      I remembered another way we used to make it until the next payday in our twenties and 30’s… sharing expenses with roommates or siblings. Three of us shared one place, and the math worked out that while one of us was always broke and waiting to get paid, at least one of the others could help us coast another day or two. Then roles would reverse.

      Another local idea I thought of that might happen: Sit out at Gallery Walk and sell some art, music, or performance, but that’s a once a month opportunity.

      My curiosity continues about how people fill that gap when they have a few more days until payday comes around again. My hypothesis is that the options are dwindling and it is tougher than before.

  • My god-daughter is 14 and she

    My god-daughter is 14 and she mines Bitcoins. Couple hundred bucks for the computer, makes her 6-9 dollars every day like clockwork. Beats the heck out of shoveling snow.

  • Selling stuff for quick cash

    Selling stuff for quick cash is a negative sum game, much like payday loans. You don’t make money with it, you lose it.

    Far better to smooth cash flow by doing odd jobs.

Leave a Reply